


Fracture

by Mydarlingwriter



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 19:46:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18350468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mydarlingwriter/pseuds/Mydarlingwriter
Summary: A request from pidgieowl on tumblr.“ We are the monsters. “





	Fracture

General Amaya was fearless. She had to be to travel through the land of Xadia without the protection of her fellow guardsmen. She was after something- or rather someone, and she would not be stopped until she achieved her goal. There was nothing entirely normal about this woman. She was unafraid, and would stare death in the eyes without so much as a flinch. She had suffered loss, and her sometimes reckless actions to protect those she loved made that all the more apparent. She wore grief well, and her silence could be far more intimidating than any shout from a seasoned veteran of war. And that as well made her a formidable opponent.

 

She crept about with expert stealth as she spotted her prey, cautious to not move so quickly that her tattered armor clanked noticeably. Her target? A very specific moonshadow elf, separated currently from her captives as she washed her face in a cool pool of water. It was early morning, and in all of her observing, Amaya had taken note that Ezran was no longer amongst the small group, and this made her blood boil. In her mind, the only explanation was that the assassin had made her first kill, and she sought to bring her to justice.

 

Without giving it another thought, Amaya charged the elf with a muted shout for victory. Rayla, having the skills to evade at a moments notice, dove from the path of her attacker and drew her blades. When she saw who it was, however, she began to panic. “ H-hey it’s… you! Callums aunt right? “ she questioned, finding that Amaya was not in the mood to chat. Though she never really was…

 

The general charged her again, this time making contact with the daggers as they flew up to protect their wielder. Amaya was brutal, and had enough force of that blow alone to skid her back several inches. “ Hey now I’m a friend, stop attacking me! “ she cried as she leapt back, a slight fear in her eyes.

 

Amaya signed something that she could not understand, ‘You are a monster’, and she once more found herself having to dodge heavy attacks. Blow by blow she felt the relentless strength of an overprotective aunt seeking to bring her nephews home to safety. But she had it all wrong and Rayla had no way to communicate that. All she could do was continue to fight back without causing any harm, praying Callum would hear the commotion and come onto the scene to stop it. And she turned her gaze to yell his name if only briefly. But one moment of distraction was all it took.

 

Rayla felt the wind leave her lungs as she suffered a quick punch to her chest. It felt like getting kicked by a horse, and she stumbled back dropping both knives, buckling forward and gripping her chest with a gasp. The next thing that she felt was a heavy strike from the metallic shield Amaya used, delivered with little remorse to her skull. At that point the darkness overtook her and she hit the ground with a sickening crack.

 

By the time Callum had arrived, she had been restrained with ropes, most likely to be hauled off to the castle and executed for her crimes. He spent the next hour pleading with his aunt to let her go, and assured her that Ezran was safe, and Rayla was not their kidnapper. With a heavy heart he confessed to lying, only to escape her wrath from before.

 

‘ You called her a monster. ‘ She signed, looking down at her with disdain. Despite his tale, she still had a very hard time trusting the elf that lay unconscious beneath her boot.

 

‘ And that was wrong, but she has saved our lives multiple times. She’s not a monster. ‘ He responded, trying to move closer to untie his friend. He could see clearly that she was hurt, and he only wanted desperately to help her.

 

Amaya shook her head in frustration, and released her claim on the elves life, storming off towards their camp to comprehend the entirety of the situation. Callum didn’t spare a moment before he was at Raylas side, tugging the ropes from her and lifting her limp body into his arms. With the reluctant help of his aunt, he nursed her wounds and folded up his scarf, using it as a pillow to prop up her neck. Amaya wasn’t completely certain, however she detected a tenderness from him that she hadn’t seen since her own sister had been alive. Moving back she watched him, noting each detail of his expression as he kept checking on her religiously to be sure she was still breathing.

 

After several days, Rayla finally came to, completely at a loss for words when she saw her attacker sitting there scowling at her through the blaze of a dying fire. Groaning, she put her hand to her forehead and felt the rather sloppy patchwork of bandages, having brief memory flashes of what had happened before. Callum settled next to her with a soft smile, looking more relieved than anything. “ How do you feel? “ he asked, immediately regretting his foolish question.

 

“ Like I’ve been hit by a titan. “ she groaned and closed her eyes as an ache pulsated through her skull. “ what’s the damage? “

 

Callum hesitated, and looked to his aunt for some sort of comfort. She simply shrugged, and signed for him to be completely honest. Sighing, he reached into his pack and pulled out something that looked very familiar to his dear friend, and her heart began to race in her chest. “ well… “ he breathed out, and she didn’t react minus shakily reaching up to touch where her horn had been.

 

All that was left was jagged bone, tender around the skin of her crown, and suddenly her stomach began to churn. She felt nauseated before she even saw the fractured horn in the mages hand, and she shut her eyes tightly with the silent hope that she would wake up from her nightmare. Moments later she was sobbing. It wasn’t a dream. A part of her- of her very culture- had been taken from her.

 

Callum’s heart shattered within him, and he gently pulled her into a comforting embrace as she shook and wept into his shoulder. He couldn’t begin to understand the physical pain, though at the time he gathered that the emotional pain perhaps topped it by a long shot. He held her there for what felt like hours before she passed out from exhaustion and affliction. Without releasing her, he signed to his aunt that she could leave at any point, and she nodded, finally finding enough trust to allow them to complete their mission.

 

As she left, he watched her somberly before looking down at Rayla with shame.

 

“ We are the monsters. “ He declared hoarsely as he wept bitterly.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3


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